For the past three decades, ozone has been of value in the treatment of viral infections and pathogenic microorganisms. In this respect, the following references can be related to: Australian patent application No. 9056278 dated Dec. 05, 1991; Zee et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,980 dated Jun. 26, 1990; EP patent application No. 86071 dated Aug. 17, 1983; German Patent No. 1068428 dated May 21, 1957; D. C. Bolton. et al, The biological effects of ozone on representative members of five groups of animal viruses, Environmental Research, 27, 1982, pp 476-484; Wells et al, Inactivation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 by ozone in vitro, Blood, 78, 1991, pp. 1882-1890; Garber et al, The use of ozone-treated blood in the therapy of HIV infection and immune disease: a pilot study of safety and efficacy, AIDS, 5, 1991 pp.981-984; M. T. F. Carpendale and J. K. Freeberg, Ozone inactivates HIV at noncytotoxic concentrations, Antiviral Research, 16, 1991, 281-292; C. E. Cross et al, Oxidative damage to plasma constituents by ozone, FEBS Letters, 298, 1992, pp 269-272; J. M. Vaughn et al, Inactivation of human and simian rotaviruses by ozone, 53, 1987, pp. 2218-2221; S. D. Razumovskii and G. E. Zaikov, Ozone and its reaction with organic compounds, 1984, Amsterdam: Elsevier; K. Rietema and C. G. Verver, Cyclones in industry, 1961, Amsterdam: Elsevier.
It has been suggested that ozone could inactivate most infectious viruses without altering the physiological and antigenic properties of body fluids. Ozone should not cause substantial cytotoxicity to lymphocytes or decrease the levels of factor VIII in anti-haemophiliac factor.
Two prior art methods, viz. the bubbling method, known as Muller method (German Patent 1068428) and the "hollow fibre" method of Wells et al. (also AU patent application 9056278) do not ensure consistent ozone transfer to the body fluids thus treated. The method of Bolton et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,980) where the reaction of ozone with the virus suspensions is carried out in a thin film on the surface of a rotating bottle, produces consistent results but it is time demanding.
The original Muller system suggests a technique by which 10 mL of blood is removed from a patient by phlebotomy, exposed for 3 to 30 min to ozone and immediately re-injected intramuscularly into the patient. Such output is hardly satisfactory for commercial purposes.
It is desirable to develop a process and apparatus for consistently deactivating deleterious substances and factors such as viruses and microorganisms contained in biological fluids, e.g. bodily fluids, by contacting such fluids with certain deactivating gases, e.g. ozone, the process having relatively high reliability and efficacy. Relatively simple, low cost means of inactivating e.g. viruses in body fluids are likely to be in demand in blood transfusion centres, hospitals, and veterinary practices.